The Essence of Swindon Mark Wilson I think we all wish we had a time machine just to go back to the times we remember and even further back to before we were born, this especially applies to railway enthusiasts, I think, to the hey days of steam/diesel traction and in my case the iconic diesel hydraulics. As this is not technically possible the only way I can even attempt time travel is to create a model of an historical subject. When Rodney, the editor, contacted me via a reply to a Facebook post relating to one of my model picture updates to see if I would be willing to write an article on my attempts on my current modelling subject and a background story, I can honestly say that it took me by surprise and I did think twice about replying. Writing an article is not something I have attempted before so I hope some of you find this interesting as it does lie at the heart of the Great Western Railway.
My Background
I have been modelling railways many years on and off with mostly unsuccessful or unfinished projects with life getting in the now and again. I find as with most modellers I have met that we have many plans and a lot of enthusiasm as we set out on new layouts only to find that the interest wains over time and it just doesn’t turn out as well as it was in our minds. Born in 1970, I grew up about 30yards away from a railway embankment which my bedroom overlooked, unfortunately the trees were quite
Great Western Star Summer 2021
dense but I could still see the shapes and hear the sounds which started my interest at around seven years old. My latest project and one which I hope you will like is based on Swindon Works. I am not what they call a rivet counter and definitely no expert. I do not go into the finest of details, for instance making sure the locos liveries exactly match the month portrayed in the photograph or that the head codes displayed on the models are correct. It’s not that I do not disrespect the knowledge of some enthusiasts as the comments I receive regarding details are usually extremely helpful in gaining knowledge and I do change details that I can from the feedback.
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